Association analysis of TNFRSF1B polymorphism with susceptibility for migraine in the Chinese Han population

Migraine is a debilitating condition characterized by a multi-factorial and polygenic mode of inheritance. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, has been implicated in the pathophysiological mechanisms of migraine. The aim of this study was to investigate whether TNF receptor superfamily member 1b gene (TNFRSF1B) polymorphism affects the occurrence of migraine in the Chinese Han population. We focused on a 15 base pair (bp) insertion/deletion polymorphism (rs5745946) in the 5' promoter region of TNFRSF1B, and investigated whether TNFRSF1B polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to migraine. We studied the genotypic and allelic frequencies of TNFRSF1B polymorphism in 416 patients with migraine and 415 control participants using polymerase chain reaction amplification and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analyses. The TNFRSF1B 15 bp insertion allele was associated with an increased risk for migraine (p=0.04, odds ratio=0.79, 95% confidence interval: 0.63-1.00). Our data suggested that individuals in the Chinese Han population with the TNFRSF1B 15 bp insertion allele may be at higher risk for migraine, which warrants further replication association studies and follow-up functional experiments.